Analysis: Can Young find closure to 2008?

Vince Young made another effort over the weekend to prove he is ready to move past the disaster that was his 2008 season.

Young rehashed the now infamous day of and following last year’s season opener in an ESPN E:60 interview that is available here.

Young spoke of not wanting to play the game because of the injury and the booing from Tennessee Titans fans that came after his second interception of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars that day.

Young initially was reluctant to return to the game after the boos, and injured his knee a few plays later. Kerry Collins was sent onto the field, leading a drive that put the game away, and Jeff Fisher quickly handed the reins of the team to him, with no intention of giving it back to Young anytime soon, barring injury.

Things, of course, got worse the following day when Young was unaccounted for after leaving his Williamson County home with a pistol, with family and friends apparently concerned that he might harm himself.

Young reiterated that he had no intentions of suicide that day, despite a Metro police report that mentioned that.

For Young, now several months removed from the incident and trying to piece his career back together, he has been surprisingly visible this off-season, after saying he would simply keep to himself, work hard and be ready for the next opportunity. His recent remarks about somebody else wanting him if the Titans didn’t created a stir that lasted for a few days and led his agent Major Adams to speak out to deny any talk of Young wanting to be traded.

In trying to explain last September’s bizarre incident, perhaps it was good for Young to speak at length about the matter, to try and put the episode to rest once and for all.

But there is still the big question to be answered in how does Young live down the perception/reality that he wanted to quit on his team, plus an admission in the interview that he didn’t want to play at that time, because of the injury and the boos from the crowd.

The only way for Young to do that is simply play, play well when he gets the chance and earn back the complete trust of his teammates and fans by showing he has matured, changed and is now on the right track.

9 Comments on this post:

By:daKine7 on 6/15/09 at 5:14

Trade this guy. Read his interview in this paper on Sunday? Talks like a Detroit punk in the 8th grade. "Hey, man"..."Don't got no"...and Titans are still paying him $14. million for 3 more years of this?

By:gratefulted on 6/15/09 at 6:12

His explanations for "the Events" leave alot to be desired. Unfortunately, The media loves it. This is going to go on and on..and on.....I am already tired of listening to him. He communicates on a level that is hard for me to understand, and I am not sure I want to try to understand anymore.
I am sorry we hurt his feelings, and that he hurt his leg. I guess Major Adams didn't explain to him what all the money was for. It is for playing a high level of football in the world's most competitive sports league. Not for spending the summer chasing coeds in Austin.
Vince said he was going to "shut up and play". That was a good plan.
Obviously, he cant stay here. The cap figure is too high for a question mark in the lineup.
I just hope the Titans do something before this gets totally sickening, and I wish Vince and his new team the best of luck.

By:TitansFan035 on 6/15/09 at 8:20

Cut this bum once and for all! He will never be a true QB in the nfl...

By:frankbrown on 6/15/09 at 8:32

Vince, you have already earned more money than any high school classmate will earn in two lifetimes. Just because you are not NFL material does not mean that you were not smart enough to outwit the NFL bigwigs. As life goes on you will find the money more comforting than all the NFL trophies in existence. I just hope you have invested it conservatively and well.

By:jwk6179 on 6/15/09 at 10:48

After several months of DENYING that he quit on his team and the fans, HE IS FINALLY ADMITTING THAT HE DID QUIT ON THEM and was even even considering retirement because the fans booed him during the Jacksonville game. Vince, I hope you saved all your money and made some WISE INVESTMENTS because after the Titans release you, I don't think another NFL will pick you up because EVERY TEAM, PLAYER AND FAN around the NFL thinks YOU WILL QUIT ON THEM, TOO when the going get roughs. Like the old saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going ang VINCE YOUNG QUITS!"

By:TITAN1 on 6/15/09 at 1:19

WOW! Even more hate here than usual. VY, I will continue to support you and hope everything works out to be a great career for you and hopefully it will be as a Tennessee Titan!

By:TitansKickAs on 6/15/09 at 1:42

You Go Vince! I mean it really.....go..go away...get outa here...adios...
see yah. And when you get there say hi to Heath Schuler and Ryan Leaf.
Maybe y'all can build a shopping center or something.

By:bfra on 6/15/09 at 2:00

Titan1 - Are you still backing "spitman", too?

By:TITAN1 on 6/15/09 at 2:38

barf, you really need to get out of your cave more often. Oh wait, you do when you post under one of your alter egos. I guess you are just stupid.